Hi all I just thought I would ask if anyone understood what I ment about a COLD BURNING PAIN ? I was discharged from hospital 4 days ago but while I was in along with reason for being in hospital and my chronic pain I mentioned to the nurses that my calf was aching and I was getting like a "cold burning pain" if that makes sense to which I was told it didn't make sense. I just wondered if anyone else has had this feeling or understand s what I mean?

I have type 2 diabetes which is very well controlled. The aching is in my left leg which is the leg affected by my back pain. Interestingly the pain seems to have subsided but now getting intermittent like twitching/fluttering feeling??

I'm thinking it could be because you were in bed for long periods with your legs straught and still causing pressure and cramp. Try and move your legs more to stop thrombosis and pressure sores developing. Also keep checking for fluid by gently pressing your legs with thumb or fingers and if it leaves a dent in the skin you know you have a build up of fluid. If your worried you must see your GP even if its just to put your mind at rest.

Hi I have not had surgery . I was in hospital due to swine flu and pneumonia which led to breathing problems. I have chronic back pain and weakness in n my left leg. During my stay I mentioned to the nurse my left calf was aching and I was getting like a cold burning pain if that made sense but both nurse and Dr said a cold burning pain did not make sense!!

I have the same pain, I described it as if your hand is burning with shooting pain but freezing at the same time. All the doctors just shrug it off stating some people's hand just are cold...... I wish you good luck in finding out what is wrong. It has been two years now and after about 8 different doctors and specialist...still nothing.

You are right to be told it did not make sense. You were talking to a nurse who needed a precise description that matched what her medical courses told her. Pain descriptors are not experienced by anyone but ourselves. We make guesses as to how to describe something and what we think it means can mean something totally different to somebody else.

Language has precise meaning when we point to something and agree a definition. We cannot point to pain and agree a definition. I believe I know what a cold burning pain is from my experience and I could be totally wrong in my belief.

I recognise that term too. I often get it on my left shin. Sometimes it feels as though a freezing draft is blowing against my leg, although nothing is, and the sensation is also like a burning, but a cold burning. I've thought it's probably nerve pain, and you can't locate the area when you touch your leg as everything feels normal. I've had an MRI scan for lower back problems and it didn't show anything up that would explain this, but I've suffered from it for about the last 10 years, on and off.